UrbanBaby New York

A hot and hazy weekend in the city is enough to make anyone melt — now multiply that if you’re pregnant, have a new baby or just need a break. Luckily, there’s a service out there that will make the sweltering summer just a teensy bit more bearable. Try one of these if you’re…

Hightailing it to JFK

Planning a baby shower

Getting organized

Moving uptown (or downtown)

Going suburban

Vacationing at home

Pretending to make it from scratch

Shaping up

Puttin’ on the Ritz

This weekend: Beat the heat.

Do
Run for Central Park
This 4-mile run/walk is open to all ages; kids 2 to 12 can join a race at 10am.
When: Sat. 7/19, 8am-1pm (registration starts at 7am); All ages.
Where: Naumburg Bandshell (mid-park at 72nd St.), Central Park, nyrr.org.

See
Carnaval del Mundo
Master puppeteer Dan Butterworth and his marionettes bring a world carnival to kids.
When: Fri. 7/18, 11am-1pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Brower Park (bet. Brooklyn & Kingston Ave.), Brooklyn, brooklynkids.org.

Go
Summer Storytime
Queens Library hosts an hour-long story time with books, rhymes, songs and crafts.
When: Sat. 7/19, 12pm; Ages 2-5; Free.
Where: Baisley Park, 117-11 Sutphin Blvd., Queens, 718-529-1590, queenslibrary.org.

Hear
Sunset Jam on the Hudson
Learn traditional drumming patterns to tap into your own creativity among a drumming village of congas, bells, shakers and sticks.
When: Fri. 7/18, 6:30-8:30pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park (at Battery Place), bpcparks.org.

See
Mamma Mia!
Not really for little kids, but Meryl’s worth the babysitter. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sing along to ABBA songs you forgot you actually liked.
When: Opens Fri. 7/18.
Where: moviefone.com.

After 17 hours (that’s consecutive time) on the UB message boards, you’ve finally got a handle on the city’s preschool situation. Sort of.

Find out the ABCs and the inside scoop. At the end of the month, MoonSoup hosts a workshop on everything from applications to choosing the right school for your child. Patti Wollman, founding director of the Nursery at the JCC Manhattan will share her insights and expertise on the process, as well as preschool alternatives.

And then it’s back to the boards.

When: Thurs. 7/31, 6:30-7:30pm; $30 (RSVP required).
Where: MoonSoup, 1059 Second Ave. (bet. 55th & 56th), 212-319-3222.

When the sun goes down, the city parks become urban drive-in (or rather stroll-in) theaters. Below is a roundup of this year’s outdoor family films. So forget cozying up in the back seat of a car — those days are behind you anyway. Just bring a blanket, a killer picnic and of course, the kids.

Riverflicks for Kids
In addition to gentle river winds and a view of the New Jersey skyline, Pier 46 is also the spot for Friday night family films and free popcorn. This includes films like Bee Movie and Shrek.
When: Through 8/22, movies begin at dusk around 8:30pm; Free (beverages and snacks are available for sale; bring something to sit on).
Where: Hudson River Park at Pier 46, Charles & West Streets, hudsonriverpark.org.

Movies with a View
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s series offers a collection of films for adults and kids. Some of the films may not be child-friendly (The Shining), but you can bring the little ones along for a viewings of Wallace and Gromit: Curse Of The Were Rabbit (July 24). The fun starts at 6pm with music from some of New York City’s best DJs. Local eatery Rice offers dinners on site. All this, plus spectacular views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and the downtown skyline.
When: Thurs., through 8/23; movies begin around 8:30pm; Free.
Where: The Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, Brooklyn, between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges, enter off of Water Street, or at Main Street in Dumbo, brooklynbridgepark.org.

Movies Under the Stars
Yes, you’ll have to leave the city for this one, but the quick and breezy ferry ride to Hoboken is all part of the adventure, not to mention a great way to beat the heat on a sticky Wednesday evening. The summer schedule is chock-full of family fare, with Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix and Surf’s Up on the schedule. Bring a blanket or low-backed beach chair, and enjoy the best of the Garden State.
When: Wed., through 8/27, around 9pm in July, 8pm in August; Free.
Where: Pier A Park, First & Frank Sinatra Drive (east end of Park on the Great Lawn), Hoboken, NJ, 201-420-2207, hobokennj.org. For NY Waterway Ferry schedule, go to nywaterway.com.

HBO Summer Film Festival
You may have to get a sitter to see the grown-ups-only flicks at Bryant Park’s Monday-night tradition. Highlights from this year’s lineup include The Apartment and Arsenic and Old Lace. The park opens at 5pm so you can stake out a spot for your blanket. Throw in a picnic and a bottle of wine, and you and hubby can enjoy a (cheap) date night. Or, have him watch the kids and meet up with friends like you used to.
When: Mon., through 8/18; movies begin at dusk (8-9pm); Free.
Where: Bryant Park, bet. 40th & 42nd St. and 5th & 6th Ave., bryantpark.org.

Ah pizza, the great unifier between parent and child, temper tantrum and total obedience. You’ve probably argued with friends and neighbors over the best spot for pizza — although any joint that solves your Friday night dinner request pretty much does the trick.

To put any future disputes to rest, join Scott’s Pizza Tours walking tour of NYC’s rich pizza history. The 3-hour jaunts meet every Wednesday at 11am in Little Italy, and commence with slices from the likes of Lombardi’s, Ray’s and Fornino.

Now that’s amore.

Visit scottspizzatours.com.

This weekend, check out CMOM’s new exhibit, “Golden Legacy: Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books,” which chronicles the popular Little Golden Books collection. Original artwork from much-loved titles like The Poky Little Puppy, Scuffy the Tugboat and Home for a Bunny are on display. On Saturday, stop by for a reading with author Dan Yaccarino and an appearance by the Poky Little Puppy himself (3pm).

Launched during the first year of WWII, the Bronxville-based Little Golden Books forever changed children’s literature — and the first books cost just 25 cents. See this charming history for yourself.

When: On view through August 28.
Where: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., 212-721-1223, cmom.org.

This weekend: Sing a song, tell a tale.

Hear
Uncle Rock
Woodstock-based singer does live music for the whole family.
When: Thurs. 7/10, 6pm; Free.
Where: Washington Market Park, Greenwich & Chambers, unclerock.com.

The Jimmies
Rock, swing and dance to kid-friendly tunes.
When: Sun. 7/13, 2 & 3pm, All ages;
Where: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., 212-721-1223, cmom.org.

See
Sweet Potato Pie and Such
Master storyteller Queen Nur weaves traditional tales from Africa.
When: Fri. 7/11, 10:30am-1pm; Ages 5 and under; Free
Where: Brower Park, between Brooklyn & Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, brooklynkids.org.

Go
Sky Rink
Beat the heat with indoor skating on the cheap at Chelsea Piers.
When: Sun. 7/13 (Sundays through 8/24), 12-3:50pm; $5 admission and free skate rental.
Where: Pier 61, Chelsea Piers, 212-336-6100, chelseapiers.com.

Visit
Family SummerFest
The Educational Alliance’s downtown neighborhood celebration includes music, sports and arts and crafts.
When: Sun. 7/13, 10am-2pm; All ages; Free.
Where: 197 East Broadway (bet. Jefferson & Clinton), edalliance.org.

The kids are begging you to see The Little Mermaid or Mary Poppins this summer, but decent seats are hard to come by.

A long wait on a Times Square corner is now a thing of the past (unless you’re into that). TKTS opens its new Brooklyn branch tomorrow at 11am, offering same-day evening and next-day matinee tickets for Broadway, off Broadway and local Brooklyn arts for up to 50-percent off.

Get some culture on the cheap.

Open Mon.-Fri., 11am-6pm. 1 MetroTech Center (corner of Jay St. & Myrtle Ave.), Brooklyn, tdf.org.

Among the basic necessities that get downgraded from essential to unnecessary when there’s a newborn in the house: sleep, showers and proper meals. At least as far as the last is concerned, there’s help.

Yum Yum Chefs, a Dumbo-based personal chef and catering company, offers a Flex Meal Plan that delivers three entrees, two soups or salads, three sides and two desserts or snacks to your doorstep. All are prepared by three and four-star chefs with locally sourced produce and free-range, all-natural and antibiotic-free meats, fish and poultry. For kids of all ages, there are cupcakes by the dozen in flavors like Tahitian Vanilla, Butter-Pecan and the company’s Signature Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting (tinted crimson thanks to plant and fruit-based ingredients instead of traditional food dyes.)

All of which add up to several square meals a week — and fewer you have to prepare yourself. As for the sleep and showers…unfortunately, you’re on your own.

Visit yumyumchefs.com.

Mondays used to mean packing your tot off to preschool and enjoying a few precious hours of free time. Now that it’s summer, Monday means scrounging to line up another week’s worth of activities to keep him entertained. July 4th just ended, and you’re already at a loss. (Sure, Petland is kind of like an air-conditioned zoo/aquarium, but the cashiers are starting to give you dirty looks.)

Thankfully, this particular Monday brings sweet relief for kiddies spending summer in the city. The Police Athletic League has opened more than 100 safe-play sites throughout the five boroughs, closing off streets to create open spaces where children can enjoy outdoor games, make new friends from the neighborhood, and splash around in the open fire hydrants. There’s also a supervised day camp program, so you can take off for errands or just a little “me” time.

Unlike the water park or the museum, the play sites are free (aside from a nominal sign-up fee), so you can go up to five days a week. An array of classic street games and other activities keep the days from feeling redundant: double-dutch, hopscotch, music and dance, street hockey, basketball, and arts and crafts projects. There’s even a mobile library where kids can borrow books.

Sign up by visiting your local PAL summer play street. And save the next Petland excursion for Saturday.

Visit palnyc.org.